Innkeepers Sending Automatic Birthday & Anniversary E-cards with Reservation Nexus

[JBloggs]

Bed and Breakfast Innkeepers Sending Automatic Birthday & Anniversary E-cards with Reservation Nexus[/h1]article here
Highly opinionated comment from JB - I don't care what any study or person says, I think this is irritating, the amount of spam people get and to send out Ecards are so 90's. People are overwhelmed by spam, including junk sent from people they know!
At what point do we respect our guests and not use every opportunity to sell?

 

[Samster]

I agree...I started getting emails from a B&B that I didn't request. I'd rather have an "opt in" opportunity for Constant Contact or whatever newsletter app an inn is using, but I understand how inns want to market.
If you can "unsubscribe" then I don't have a problem with it as much.

 

[gillumhouse]

I NEVER open a postcard etc I do not care WHO sent it because of the virus or worm possibility. The LAST thing I want to do is send my guests any correspondence other than Confirmation of reservation, reminder 3 days prior, and a thank you for your stay. More than that, I am hounding them. Perhaps they do not WANT more contact. Too much makes ud helinnkepers.

 

[Alibi Ike]

I never open ecards even if I recognize the sender's name. Would I want a birthday or anniversary greeting from a hotel? No. Not even a B&B. Why? Because I KNOW it's a program and not a lick of effort on anyone's part.
We have guests who stay here who are in the biz, but in a much bigger way than we are. I actually do remember what she likes for breakfast but when she said something about how nice it was that I remembered, her husband chimed in, 'Guest Management software is wonderful, isn't it?'
Totally spoiled the moment for her, but a lot of people understand that it's a program. (A lot don't, but that's another story.)
And, suppose you have this auto greeting and the person who is supposed to get is dead? Or divorced? Did THAT make you any friends?

 

[Penelope]

At what point do we respect our guests and not use every opportunity to sell?

I know of someone who just doesn't get this. It's all "sell, sell, sell". All the time. Everywhere this person is, everytime this person opens their mouth. It is a complete turnoff.

 

[JBloggs]

At what point do we respect our guests and not use every opportunity to sell?

I know of someone who just doesn't get this. It's all "sell, sell, sell". All the time. Everywhere this person is, everytime this person opens their mouth. It is a complete turnoff..

At what point do we respect our guests and not use every opportunity to sell?

I know of someone who just doesn't get this. It's all "sell, sell, sell". All the time. Everywhere this person is, everytime this person opens their mouth. It is a complete turnoff.

I feel it is a catch 22. For every person who says "We're in the hospitality trade" you have the back side of that where they push and try to upsell everything.
On one hand they act/or say they are doing this for the fun of it, not that it really is a business or anything. I guess the lines are not drawn clearly in my mind.
In the end we all do what we are comfortable with. I know past guests of the old owners told me they tried to sell them mattresses, tried to sell them furniture, tried to sell them this that and the other...I feel ashamed of that. But y'all know my anti-MLM stand.

 

[gillumhouse]

At what point do we respect our guests and not use every opportunity to sell?

I know of someone who just doesn't get this. It's all "sell, sell, sell". All the time. Everywhere this person is, everytime this person opens their mouth. It is a complete turnoff..

At what point do we respect our guests and not use every opportunity to sell?

I know of someone who just doesn't get this. It's all "sell, sell, sell". All the time. Everywhere this person is, everytime this person opens their mouth. It is a complete turnoff.

I feel it is a catch 22. For every person who says "We're in the hospitality trade" you have the back side of that where they push and try to upsell everything.
On one hand they act/or say they are doing this for the fun of it, not that it really is a business or anything. I guess the lines are not drawn clearly in my mind.
In the end we all do what we are comfortable with. I know past guests of the old owners told me they tried to sell them mattresses, tried to sell them furniture, tried to sell them this that and the other...I feel ashamed of that. But y'all know my anti-MLM stand.
.

Last week, one of the ladies liked the muffins I served. I went to the assoc cookbook to check, and yes, it was a recipe I had submitted to it. She asked how much it was and I told her. As she was rummaging in her purse for money, I told her she really did not have to buy the cookbook if she really doid not want to. I would print it off for her and I did. She was one of the 2 who left a nice tip. THAT was a surprise!

 

[swirt]

I always lean heavilly on the side of privacy. An anniversary reminder or birthday reminder showing up a year later may find the recipient in a completely different situation than they were in when they stayed with us.

• Maybe split with their wife,
• Maybe back with their wife and not the mistress they stayed with us with (now wife wants to know why some inn she has never been to is sending her husband a b-day card)
• Don't want to be reminded by some inn that they are getting older.

We have a couple of repeat guests that have become more like friends that we may remember with a card or something, but not the entire population of people that have ever stayed with us.
I know there are inns that really favor doing this kind of "inntrusive innkeeping" and they swear they get repeat business as a result. They may get repeat business as a result, but it is another one of those cases where you only hear back from the people that like it, not the people that were so annoyed by it, they chose not to return.

 

[JBloggs]

I always lean heavilly on the side of privacy. An anniversary reminder or birthday reminder showing up a year later may find the recipient in a completely different situation than they were in when they stayed with us.

• Maybe split with their wife,
• Maybe back with their wife and not the mistress they stayed with us with (now wife wants to know why some inn she has never been to is sending her husband a b-day card)
• Don't want to be reminded by some inn that they are getting older.

We have a couple of repeat guests that have become more like friends that we may remember with a card or something, but not the entire population of people that have ever stayed with us.
I know there are inns that really favor doing this kind of "inntrusive innkeeping" and they swear they get repeat business as a result. They may get repeat business as a result, but it is another one of those cases where you only hear back from the people that like it, not the people that were so annoyed by it, they chose not to return..

I agree.
It would only take one bad instance to impact my life in a very negative way and make me very careful about sending emails out willy nilly.
A memorable older couple here, second marriage for both much later in life. Her first husband was a fighter pilot. His first wife was with him teaching Bible school to kids in Germany when the wall went UP and 1/2 the kids never came back. Married for 50 years and spouses passed away.
Friend set them up, for three years in a row, on one night only they met at the symphony. The 3rd time he said "We might as well get married."
Friend bought them a gift certifcate as a wedding gift. They never came. I called them and invited them to come and stay and found out friend was now dead and they felt bad using the GC. I extended it and they eventually did. The next year I wanted to send them a happy anniversary card! In the mail. A special anniv card, they were a special couple. She had died. I felt terrible.
(Just a real life scenario from my experience)

 

[One Day]

Not sure how much this has been discussed....
Do any of you send out a "newsletter" ?.........seasonaly, or 2 - 3 times a year to past guests ?
If you did.....you could cover the birthday / anniversary stuff at that time.
Could include an item.....Those who book for a stay during the time of this seasonal letter that have a birthday......get $5 off a dozen roses or something.

 

[JBloggs]

Not sure how much this has been discussed....
Do any of you send out a "newsletter" ?.........seasonaly, or 2 - 3 times a year to past guests ?
If you did.....you could cover the birthday / anniversary stuff at that time.
Could include an item.....Those who book for a stay during the time of this seasonal letter that have a birthday......get $5 off a dozen roses or something..

Not sure how much this has been discussed....
Do any of you send out a "newsletter" ?.........seasonaly, or 2 - 3 times a year to past guests ?
If you did.....you could cover the birthday / anniversary stuff at that time.
Could include an item.....Those who book for a stay during the time of this seasonal letter that have a birthday......get $5 off a dozen roses or something.

Yes that is what the newsletter are good for. You can pop that in there and give info on events coming up etc etc. But this is just a blatant BUG THE GUESTS TO GET MORE BUSINESS idea.

 

[One Day]

Not sure how much this has been discussed....
Do any of you send out a "newsletter" ?.........seasonaly, or 2 - 3 times a year to past guests ?
If you did.....you could cover the birthday / anniversary stuff at that time.
Could include an item.....Those who book for a stay during the time of this seasonal letter that have a birthday......get $5 off a dozen roses or something..

Not sure how much this has been discussed....
Do any of you send out a "newsletter" ?.........seasonaly, or 2 - 3 times a year to past guests ?
If you did.....you could cover the birthday / anniversary stuff at that time.
Could include an item.....Those who book for a stay during the time of this seasonal letter that have a birthday......get $5 off a dozen roses or something.

Yes that is what the newsletter are good for. You can pop that in there and give info on events coming up etc etc. But this is just a blatant BUG THE GUESTS TO GET MORE BUSINESS idea.
.

I know.......
I was just thinking that maybe.......if there was say a birthday incentive......it may spark some thought in those that would be having a birthday during those 3 or 4 months........and have the chance of upselling a package
In this form.....you get away of the stickiness of e-cards

 

[JBloggs]

Not sure how much this has been discussed....
Do any of you send out a "newsletter" ?.........seasonaly, or 2 - 3 times a year to past guests ?
If you did.....you could cover the birthday / anniversary stuff at that time.
Could include an item.....Those who book for a stay during the time of this seasonal letter that have a birthday......get $5 off a dozen roses or something..

Not sure how much this has been discussed....
Do any of you send out a "newsletter" ?.........seasonaly, or 2 - 3 times a year to past guests ?
If you did.....you could cover the birthday / anniversary stuff at that time.
Could include an item.....Those who book for a stay during the time of this seasonal letter that have a birthday......get $5 off a dozen roses or something.

Yes that is what the newsletter are good for. You can pop that in there and give info on events coming up etc etc. But this is just a blatant BUG THE GUESTS TO GET MORE BUSINESS idea.
.

I know.......
I was just thinking that maybe.......if there was say a birthday incentive......it may spark some thought in those that would be having a birthday during those 3 or 4 months........and have the chance of upselling a package
In this form.....you get away of the stickiness of e-cards
.

I know.......
I was just thinking that maybe.......if there was say a birthday incentive......it may spark some thought in those that would be having a birthday during those 3 or 4 months........and have the chance of upselling a package
In this form.....you get away of the stickiness of e-cards

Right, that is what newsletters are good for, putting that BAIT on the hook. Featuring packages, events, etc. Change in seasons, additions to the inn, repertoire, etc. RIGHT ON BRUDUH!